Photographic camera with quick winding attachment



Aug. 23, 1960 A. GOLDHAMMER PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA WITH QUICK WINDINGATTACHMENT Filed Dec. 8, 1958 FIG. 3

INVENTOR United States Patent Ofiice PHOTOGRAPHIC CAMERA WITH QUICKWINDING ATTACHMENT Albert Goldhammer, Nnssdorf, Baden, Germany, assignorto Bodenseewerk Perkin-Elmer & Co., G.m.b.H., Uberlingen, Bodensee,Germany Filed Dec. s, 1958, Ser. No. 779,024 Claims priority,application Germany Dec. 7, 1957 3 Claims. (Cl. 95-31) This invention isconcerned with a photographic camera with quick winding attachment,i.e., a camera in which the forward movement of the film and thetensioning of the shutter is effected by a rotating motion of a handlever. Hitherto, this hand lever has been so arranged on the camera thatit was operated by the thumb of the hand holding the camera byperforming a rotating motion from the back of the camera towards itsfront. It is necessary with such an arrangement of the hand lever toprovide an intermediate gear between the shaft of the ltand lever andthe film-feed roll so as to obtain the correct rotation of the film-feedroll.

The invention starts out from the realization that operation of the handlever by means of the thumb is not a necessary requirement and is noteven the most favorable manner of operation. It must therefore beconsidered inadvisable to provide a relatively expensive gear system inorder to make thumb operation of the hand lever possible.

The invention has therefore for its object the provision of a hand leverto be operated from the front of the camera by means of a fingermovement performed in a clockwise direction. The middle finger or thering finger of the photographers hand holding the camera can then beused to operate the hand lever whereby a rotating movement of the handlever is efiected which has such a direction of rotation that anintermediate gear becomes unnecessary.

The hand lever is advantageously arrangedwhen viewed in the direction ofthe object to be photographedbeneath the bottom of the camera housing.The operation of the hand lever is then particularly convenient andhandy. With such an arrangement of the hand lever, the gear system forthe tensioning of the shutter and the film-feed may be accommodated inthe bottom of the camera, so that no space is required for theseelements in the upper part of the camera housing, where normallyelements for other functions have to be arranged.

An arrangement of the hand lever as suggested in accordance with theinvention necessitates a special design of the ever-ready case. Thejunction between the bottom and the side wall of the ever-ready casemust be interrupted by a slot shaped opening in the zone of the handlever movement. Means must be provided at the cutaway portion of theside wall provided for the camera lens which permit the fastening of theside wall of the ever-ready case at the camera housing. Without such afastening of the side wall of the ever-ready case at the camera housing,which may be effected by means of a press button or an eyelet, the sidewall of the everready case would no longer have suflicient rigidity andtherefore could be easily deformed.

Further developing the idea of the invention, the quick winding gearingis so designed that an intermediate lever, which actuates the tensioningmechanism of the shutter, is mounted co-ax-ially respect to the handlever. This intermediate lever has a dog or driver which is operated bythe hand lever, so that the intermediate 2,949,832 Patented Aug. 23,1960 lever, in turn, rotates a gear wheel that engages the filmfeedroll. A simple mechanism which can be easily manufactured and whichrequires little space is obtained by such an arrangement. It ispossible, in particular, to provide separate return springs for the handlever, so that the hand lever can also return to its initial positionindependently of the intermediate lever. For example, the end of thefihn may prevent the film feed mechanism from reaching its end positionwhich would enable the lever to return.

The invention is more fully described in the following detaileddescription where reference is made to a preferred embodimentillustrated schematically in Figs. 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawingswherein:

Fig. 1 is a partial bottom view of a camera embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is an illustration of a camera case suitable for use with thepresent invention; and

Fig. 3 is a partial, cross-sectional elevation of an apparatus embodyingthe invention.

Referring to Fig. l in which a partial view of the bottom of a camerahousing 1 is shown. Numeral 2 designates the camera lens. A rotatablehand lever 3 is arranged beneath the camera bottom and is rotated in thedirection of the arrow up to the position shown in the drawing by thedotted line. If the camera 1 is held in the normal position with thebottom of the housing downwards, a clockwise movement of the finger-themiddle or the ring finger-is performed from the front of the cameratowards its back when rotating the lever 3 without thereby letting thecamera loose.

Fig. 2 shows the lower portion 4 of an ever-ready case designed to fit acamera according to the invention. The junction between the bottom 5 andthe side wall 6 of the ever-ready case is interrupted in the Zone ofmovement of the hand lever 3 by means of a slot shaped recess or opening7 so as to give access to the hand lever 3. Since the side wall 6 nolonger has suficient rigidity, a. press button 9 or other suitablefastening element is provided at the cutaway portion 8 of the side wall6. The press button 9 then allows the fastening of the side wall 6 tothe camera housing 1.

Referring now to Fig. 3 which shows the gear system to be operated bythe hand lever 3 in sectional illustration, numeral 1' designates anintermediate wall of the housing 1 on which is mounted a bearing bushingiii provided with a flange 10. The bearing journal 3' of the hand lever3 rotates in said bearing bushing in. An intermediate bushing 11 issupported by the bearing bushing 10 and coupled with the latter bushingby means of a spring controlled return stop 12. Thus, the intermediatebushing 11 can only rotate in one direction on the hearing bushing 10.An intermediate lever 14 engaging the not represented gear system of ashutter tensioning mechanism by means of a crank pin 14 is supported bya collar 13 of the intermediate bushing 11. A gear 15 and a ratchetwheel 16 are rigidly connected with the intermediate bushing 11. Thegear 15 meshes directly with a pinion 18 mounted on the shaft of thefilm-feed roll 17. The ratchet wheel 16 forms-together with a pawl 19mounted on the intermediate lever i4a controlling mechanism of the wellknown delta-star type. Separate return springs 26, 26 are provided forthe hand lever 3 and the intermediate lever 14. These return springs aredesigned as tension springs fixed at the housing and placed around theintermediate bushing 11. The hand lever 3 has a driver pin 21 whichengages the intermediate lever 14 when the hand lever 3 is rotated. Whenso actuated by the rotating movement of the hand lever 3, theintermediate lever 14 operates the shutter tensioning mechanism throughthe crank pin 14'. The rotation of the intermediate lever 14 has at thesame time theefiect that, by the action'of the controlling mechanism 16/19, the intermediate bushing 11 and the gear 15 connected therewith arerotated-by a definitive angle, so that the film is moved forward by thelength of one negafive format by-the film=feed "roll-"17. After theintermediate'le'ver l4 has com-pletedits-full feed-path; the-deltaStargearing -16, 19 allows the "intermediatelever-14 to returng-so thatthe latterlever and the handlever 3 can--- return 'in'to theirinitialposition 'underthe' influence ofthereturn'springs'20," 20'. If, however,theintermedhte lever 14 is prevented from cornpleting its full feedpath;- becausethe-filmend "does not allow--auyfurther movement andthusany further rotation ofithe fil-imfe'edroll is impossible,thetcontrolling mechanism 16,-19-does not" yetpermitthe'intermedia'tefilever 14 to return so'that it is blocked in an"intermediate position: Only 'after' the film has been removed from thecamera can theintermedi ate lever 14 complete itsfeed'path and return toitsiniti'al position". But the hand "lever 3 can return" to its initialpositiomeven if the intermediate lever 14 is blocked in-an--intermediate position; so' that there is nomeed-fo'r -said hand lever 3to remain "in an obstructing intermediate-- position when the windingmechanism'is blocked by-the film end.

I claimz" a l. Photographiccamera apparatus'comprising acamerabodyy'fir'st iever means positioned orr-said bodytorotate aboutan-axis thereon-:second leverm-eansin actuating re-'-lationship'totensionthe shutter of said camera;-first driv'-r ing means'mounted on said first lever means in actuating relationship-with" saidsecond lever means; pawl-meansmounted-n said second "levermeansgratchet-means inunidirectional"drivingrelationshipwith -the filmwinding m-eans of said cameraand' positioned in driven relationship withsaid pawlrneansyand resilient-meanstorre-- turningeach of said first andsecond lever means to their starting positions.

2. Photographic'camera apparatus comprising a camera"-- body including'a "shuttermeclianism and '-a film winding mechanism; bearing meansmounted on said camera body; controldever' means mounted in said bearingmeans to rotate thereinyshutter tensioning lever means in spaced coaxialrelationship "with 'said control lever means; driving stud means-fixedlymounted on saidcontrol-lever means in driving relationship with' saidshutter tensioninglever means; pawl means mounted on saidshutter--tension-= ing lever means;-ratchet' means in spaced coaxialrelationship-with both ofsaid control -lever-means and said shut-- tertensioning lever means and positioned in driven relationship.with,saidipawlv means; driving gear means in,

body; includinga ,Shuttenmechanism and a film Winding mechanisms=cylindrical bushing ,means mounted .OILLSflld body having an innerbearing' surfacet and an outer'bearting surface;,operating,;1ever. means,comprislng a cylindrical bearingmemberseated*within'said bushing means,

lever rarm means} extending at;substantially ;rigl t angles from-theaxis of said cylindrical bearing member, and actuating pin means-havingone end affiX'ed to said lever arm means and positioned in substantiallyparallel relationship-rtoirthetqnrimary axis ofisaid zcylindricalbearing membergrgearimeans rotatable; :abouttheaprimaryaxis of saidcylindrical inishing means Jon-the. outerbearing sur-s facets-thereofandcin operating. relationship to saidfilmw Windingmechanism;z-ratchetemeans. rotatable about said. primary-eaxiszofsaidrcylindricalbushing means and-inn fixed-r relationship with saidgearrmeans; means positioned between saidlcylindricalzbushing.meansz-and both of said.

gearmea'ns and l'ratchet 'means whereby the rotation .ofsaidigeammeansvand ratchetwmeans: about said cylindrical-2r bushingm'eanszis rlimiteditma predetermined arc;inte1'-.- mediate levermeansurotatable about a common axis of :ro-m

tationmrithsaid' ratchetnneans and in closeaxial relationshi' "-theretopsaidaiever means positionedrtozsbe drivenby saiaotuatingwpinrmeansi andsin :o-perating relationship to tensionsaidxshuttemmechanism'; pawl: means: mounted:

on said Rfereneescitd -in=the1file of this patent I UNITEII'ZSTATES.PATENTS' j I 7475615.; tGreatziBritain A1311v 11, 7,1956

"intermediatek-lever .zmeansain driving arelationship withsarddratehetaimeans; zandxresilicnt means positioned, a to return saidintermediate lever means andrsaid opera, atin g: le'ver means to' theiristarting. positions Aim

